Biden to satisfy with Pope Francis to focus on COVID-19, local weather

President Joe Biden is determined to satisfy Pope Francis when he visits the Vatican later this month, as part of a 4-day swing through Italy and the U.ok. for global economic and local weather change meetings

with the aid of ALEXANDRA JAFFE associated Press

October 14, 2021, 4:52 PM

• 2 min examine

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WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden is determined to satisfy Pope Francis when he visits the Vatican later this month as part of a 5-day swing through Italy and the U.ok. for world financial and climate change meetings.

Biden plans to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis and poverty during his meeting with the pope, according to the White condominium. The assembly will take region on Oct. 29, and Biden will then attend a two-day summit of G-20 leaders in Rome, before heading to Glasgow, Scotland for the U.N. local weather conference referred to as COP26.

Biden, who is Roman Catholic, frequently speaks of his religion in public and attends Mass every weekend. but his affairs of state, including his support for gay marriage and abortion rights, have now and then put him at odds with Catholic doctrine and introduced controversy and criticism from some leaders of the Catholic church.

prior this yr, a few Catholic bishops proposed drafting a doc that would rebuke Biden and different Catholic politicians for receiving Communion regardless of their assist for abortion rights. The situation of Communion is expected to be discussed at the bishops' national meeting in mid-November, but any document that emerges isn't expected to point out Biden or other politicians by means of identify.

Biden has met with Pope Francis three times before — first, when Francis was inaugurated as pope, in 2013, later all over the pope's 2015 visit to the U.S., and once more in 2016, when Biden visited the Vatican for a conference on regenerative medication, the place he spoke on cancer prevention. He keeps a photo of 1 of his meetings with the pope at the back of his desk within the Oval workplace.

First girl Jill Biden will be part of her husband for his meeting with the pope.